Logan could sense that something was wrong. He pushed himself faster, aware that Jean was behind him, and safe. She had tried to insist that she wanted to help, and the flame had returned to her eyes. Logan was very glad that her spirit had returned, no doubt she hadn't been this fiery since before she was captured…and him leaving wouldn't have helped. However he'd insisted that she not use her powers just yet. Her condition was one of his top priorities.

Yet so was Laura. And Logan knew she was in trouble.

He burst over the ridgeline, not needing to take in the scene. The fear stench was everywhere. Several men were up in the trees above, their guns being loaded with needles containing a fluid. Logan didn't like the smell of it. He leapt for the nearest tree, his claws digging into the bark as he hauled himself up one stab at a time, a growl sounding in his throat. One swipe and the gun was gone, two and the men slipped from the tree branches with his throat gashed open. Logan jumped to the ground, grasping the gun and sniffing the needle.

Poison. Adamantium poison.

He lunged for the next tree, taking out each shooter while Laura kept slicing below. She wasn't tiring, which seemed to frighten the men even more. The remaining men, anyway. Most of them were lying on the ground, eyes glazed over sightlessly, blood staining the ground beneath them. Two ran for their vehicle and took off through the woods, hoping for escape.

"Albert!" Laura called the feral, snapping his attention away from the man he'd backed up against a tree. "Go after them!" his gaze focused on the truck and he raced off, while Laura spun to face the outstanding men on the ground. They tried to trick her, to beat her speed, to anticipate. But she was far better at the game they were playing, and one by one they fell, and blood splashed against the grass until the clearing was quiet. She stood in the middle of the bodies, chest heaving, nose twitching from the reek of blood. She glanced up as Logan sent the final sniper flying from the tree, before returning to the ground.

Her gaze settled on him, brimming with pride and adoration that he was back. That he was healthy... She rushed over and jumped on him, briefly snugging her face into his warm chest and drinking in his scent. "You look good." She murmured quietly.

Jean had stayed back, but now she entered the blood-bathed clearing, a quivering smile on her lips as she watched the two. Was it just her own eyes brimming with tears, or did Logan have moisture in his eyes?

Suddenly he pulled away, nose twitching. "They're not all gone." His gaze snapped to the direction Albert had run after the truck. He shot Laura a split-second glance before the two of them raced after the vehicle's tracks.

Jean watched them leave with a hand to her mouth, briefly thinking that despite the situation…the father and daughter running off, moving as one…was quite beautiful. In a strange sense of the word.

It didn't take long to catch up…the truck had been totalled. Logan and Laura could smell the stench of burnt rubber and exhaust fumes way before they got there. The men were both dead, stabbed in the forehead with a pair of claws, the other lay sprawled on the ground, his gun beside him. Logan picked it up. It was empty. He turned to speak to Laura, but she'd disappeared.

Laura hadn't cared about the truck, but Albert's scent leading away from the scene... She followed it to the river, finding the feral creature lying on the bank, groaning and digging his claws into the ground.

"Albert!" she dropped beside him, a horrible sense of dávajú filling her stomach. He had one of their long spears in his chest. "Albert…?"

"Laura." He blinked, his pain-clouded eyes lightening up some seeing her. "Bad men…gone. Albert make sure."

Laura bit her lip. "Come on, Albert. Jean's waiting. We got to get you back." Why wasn't his healing factor getting rid of the pain? What was wrong?

"No, Laura." Albert shook his head very feebly, wincing and slicing his claws against the ground. "Albert…no come. Hurt." He slowly pushed something toward her, a handful of empty needles, and Laura blinked quickly as she understood. Poison. They'd overdosed him on adamantium poison.

"No." She snapped suddenly, throwing them away. He couldn't die! Not after Logan had gone….she couldn't lose Albert in the same way! This was her fault…she shouldn't have sent him after the truck…

"Laura…safe. Logan back…" Albert whispered feebly. "Everything…good. Not need…Albert."

Laura gulped, knowing she wanted Albert to come too…they'd find a way for him to fit in! Everything would be okay…he couldn't die. She couldn't let someone else die…she really was cursed. She blinked hard, knowing even if she dragged him back to Jean and Logan, he would suffer for a long time before either the wound, or the adamantium killed him. She blinked again, lifting her chin. She didn't want to do this…

"Laura…say goodbye to Albert." He glanced up at her, meeting her gaze. And agonising look on his face was too much. She had to do this…he'd done so much for them, the least she could do was let him go without any more pain.

She briefly stroked his head, swallowing her tears. "Thank you…" Someone touched her shoulder and she glanced up, meeting her daddy's gaze. "Go back to Jean, Laura."

She bit her lip, slowly getting up and giving Albert a final glance before she turned and ran as Logan's claws flashed at the edge of her vison.